Leroy Van Dyke
Singer/songwriter Leroy Van Dyke was best known for penning the country novelty standard "The Auctioneer" and the country-pop smash "Walk on By," his biggest hit. Born in Missouri, Van Dyke originally wanted to be a farmer. He earned a degree in agriculture and journalism at the University of Missouri, where he first began playing guitar. His uncle had been an auctioneer, and Van Dyke himself studied livestock auctioneering and worked as an auctioneer for a time. Following graduation, he worked as a newspaper reporter. Sent to Korea during the Korean War, he began performing for his peers and wrote "The Auctioneer," which recalled Van Dyke's uncle and was dedicated to his cousin. The song contains passages of actual auction calls.
Following military service, Van Dyke returned to journalism in Chicago but kept up his performing career, appearing on Red Foley's Ozark Jubilee television show. In 1956, he entered a talent contest on Chicago radio station WGN, performing "The Auctioneer." DJ Buddy Black signed up as Van Dyke's manager and slipped in a document giving himself co-writing credits and half the royalties for the song. Released as a single on the Dot label, the song hit the pop charts in late 1956 and appeared on the country charts in early 1957, where it climbed to the Top Ten. In 1961, Van Dyke went to Nashville and signed with Mercury. One of his early releases on the label was "Walk on By," which went right to the top of the country charts and remained there for 19 weeks; it also crossed over to the Top Five on the pop charts. Van Dyke contributed his distinctive smooth tenor to what became one of country music's quintessential cheating songs, a fast two-step number with a certain sly veneer of sophistication.
"Walk on By," which gained a Grammy nomination for Van Dyke, was followed up with another major crossover hit, "If a Woman Answers (Hang Up the Phone)," and the Top 40 "Black Cloud." In 1962, Van Dyke began appearing on the Grand Ole Opry. His next few Mercury releases gained only middling success, and in 1965 he signed to Warner Bros and had Top 40 success with "Roses from a Stranger." In 1967, Van Dyke appeared in the film What Am I Bid? He recorded throughout the decade but hit the charts only with "Louisville" in 1968. Nevertheless, he remained a strong draw in Las Vegas (where he was among the first country performers to package and deliver his own self-contained show) and other upscale concert locales; as a performer Van Dyke mastered the art of combining a rural persona with a countrypolitan sheen; he offered what he called "city-style country music" on the album The Leroy Van Dyke Show. In 1977, he notched one final minor hit, "Texas Tea." Later that year he also released two albums, Gospel Greats and Rock Relics, both produced by old friend Shelby Singleton. He performed often in Branson, Missouri, after that town emerged as a country music tourist Mecca, and he continued to appear at the agricultural trade shows and livestock auctions, where his music had sprung. He continued to perform at fairs, festivals, livestock events, rodeos, supper clubs, conventions, agricultural shows, and private functions well into his late eighties, and oversaw the reissue of his '50s sides compiled as Cowboy Country on Sun Records in 2018.
© Sandra Brennan & James Manheim /TiVo
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Leroy Van Dyke's Precious Memories
Country - Released by Charly Records on 24 Jun 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Golden Hits - The World's Most Famous Auctioneer
Country - Released by StarVista Music on 1 Jan 1974
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Country Masters: The Swing Of Things
Country - Released by Carinco AG on 22 Nov 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Walk On By - The Best Of
Country - Released by Vintage Masters Inc. on 15 Mar 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Presenting Leroy Van Dyke
Country - Released by Universal Digital Enterprises on 11 Feb 1956
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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True Treasures
Country - Released by Country Rewind on 15 Jul 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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At Your Request…
Country - Released by StarVista Music on 16 Sep 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Anthology: His Early Years (Remastered)
Country - Released by Master Tape Records on 3 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Titanium Hits
Pop - Released by Black & Partner Licenses LLC on 15 Apr 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Milestones of Legends - Country & Western Stars, Vol. 4
Stonewall Jackson, Leroy Van Dyke
Country - Released by Documents 2 on 25 Mar 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Releases 1956-62
Country - Released by ACROBAT on 10 May 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Auctioneer (Billboard Hot 100 - No 19)
Country - Released by Music Manager on 13 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Leroy Van Dyke Country Legends
Country - Released by StreamWorld Entertainment Classics on 7 Jan 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo